Reed-organ



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(No Model.)

REED ORGAN.

Patented .Feb. 21.18 82.

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A. NEWELL.

. REED ORGAN.

No. 253,882. Patened Feb. 21,1882.

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A. NEWELL.

REED ORGAN. No. 253,882. Patented Feb. 21,1882.

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of the reeds removed.

the air will enter after having passed the reeds.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS NEWELL, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REED-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,882, dated February21, 1882.

Application filed August .24, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS NEWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement inReed-Organs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to organs for childrens use; and it is the objectof my invention to produce an organ which is simple and substantial inits construction, is easily taken apart for repairs or adjustment, andyet will enable the performer to make good music.

Therefore my invention consists of the construction and arrangement andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 representsan exterior perspective view of the organ; Fig. 2, a rear elevation ofthe same, the right-hand feederpedal being pressed down. Fig. 3 is avertical cross-section of the organ, showing the form and arrangement ofits action; Fig. 4, a detached plan view of the pedals, showing theirpivotal spring-connection to the base of the organ; Fig. 5, alongitudinal section of a portion of the key'reed and throat-boards ofthe organ; Fig. 6, a plan view of the key-board detached,with several ofthe keys removed. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the reed-board with severalFig. 8 represents a sectional perspective view of a portion of thereedboard, and Fig. 9 a perspective view of one end of the bridge-boardand cushioned slat with one key-block.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

The case of this organ is composed of a back board, a,'front board, B,throat-board b, and base or pedal strip 0, all of which being of uniformlength are secured by wood-screws between two side standards, A. Thefrontboard, B, of the case at the same time forms one side of thebellows-reservoir, a strip, (I, being secured against its rear lowerend, to which the backboard, O, ofthe bellows-reservoir is hinged bygirth-webbin g or other suitable fabric. The block b of the throat-boardI) extends into the bellows-reservoir, and through its perforations Theair from the bellows-reservoir is exhausted by two feeders, D D, throughopenings in strip (1. The feeders D D are each composed of tworectangular boards, t and t, that are connected by sheet-rubber or anyother suitable material, one of these boards, t, being secured to stripd, with an internal flap-valve to the communicating opening, while theother board, if, is secured to the end of one of the pedals, E, by anintermediate block, a, and has a breathing-hole that is covered by anexterior flap-valve. By thus rigidly connecting the feeders to thetreadles the construction is much simplified and the operation is morenoiseless than with the use of connectingbars, or with cords andpulleys.

The pedals E E with their front ends are pivotally connected to thebase-strip 0. These pivots are formed each by a wire, F, passed througha proper hole or groove in the pedal and held to the strip 0 by twoclamps f. Each wire F has a hook-point to its extended end, which isdriven into strip 0, and at its opposite end it is bent to have arectangular arm with a hook that enters a hole in the pedal. In this waythe torsional elasticity of the wire that forms the pivot will alsofurnish the necessary spring-power for raising the pedal again aftereach depression.

The distension of the bellows-reservoir is caused by a V-spring, G, andits contraction by the air being drawn or pumped out of it. Upon thesides and ends of the throat-board b is secured a rectangular frame, g,and upon this the reed-board H, the manner of construction of which isshown in Figs. 5, 7, and 8.

Heretofore reed-boards were made of two pieces of wood that were firstcut to the proper shape and then glued together for forming the propercells for the reeds. This has been an expensive mode of manufacture tomake them, besides that the grooves for the reeds in that constructioncould not be brought close to the bottom of the cell, and had to be madeair tight under their ends by pieces of felting.

My reed-board H, as will be 11oticed,is made of a single piece of wood,and for this purpose I take a board of proper thickness and of thenecessary width and length, and cut and plane it down longitudinally togive the board the required exterior shape. Next, with a propermachine-tool I cut the sockets h, then I bore slots that form the rearrounded ends for the I reed-cells t, which in the next operation aregrooved outto the ends laterally,"and are recessed for holding the reedsthat are slid in, and finally the holes K are drilled,which guide thevalve operatin g pins. In a reed-board thus constructed the reeds I,when inserted, lie close upon the bottom of the cells with theirvibrating tongues above, and no felting is required for closing upleakages. This is ofgreat importance, and obviates the difficultiesheretofore experienced by organ-tuners when the felting placed under theheel of the reed was too thick and pitched the tongues down ward,thereby afiecting the tone of the reed.

Underneath each slat is placed a flat valve, m, lined with felt orleather, and guided by projecting studs that pass through holes in saidvalve. Each valve is held to its seat by a spring, 8.

J is the key-board, which is secured upon the reed-board H so as to formthe ceiling to the reed-cells. An upwardly-projectin g strip, 9',secured against the rear edge of the key-board J, is groovedlongitudinally, and into this groove are inserted the beveled rear endsof the keys M so as to have a free oscillating movement therein.Guide-studs for each key are secured upon the key-board,that entercorresponding holes or sockets in the key and hold it laterally inproper position without impeding the swinging movement of the keys.Feltstrips are glued upon the key-board,against which the keys will buttwithout noise, and pins 12, passed through holes in the key-board J, andthrough the holes K in the reed-board H, rest upon the valves m andsustain the keys J in such a manner that the depression of any key willopen the corresponding valve below the reed-board, allowing a current ofair to be drawn through the intermediate reed, and that with releasingsaid key the valve will close, and thereby it will raise the key againto its elevated position.

N is the bridge-board that conceals the rear ends of the keys, and thatat the same time forms the supporting-shelf for sheet-music; and 0 is aslat lined with felting, against which the beveled portion of the keyswill butt when in their elevated position, and will prevent said keysfrom swinging above the horizontal line. The slat 0, at both ends, isframed between two key-blocks, O, which by screws are secured upon theends of the key-board, and the bridge-board N is secured upon saidkeyblocks 0 by screws.

P is the cover or lid, which is pivoted between the standardsA of theorgan-case in such a manner that when closed it will rest with its frontedge upon the key-blocks, while a cleat, 12, secured against the backboard, a, will cover the upper edge of the lid. When opened the lid willbe sustained at an inclined position by its rear edge butting against ashoulder of the bridge-board N, so as to form a music-desk therewith.

Q, is the swell-cap, which is pivotally coir nected to the rear edge ofthe reed-board H, and is provided with springs that will swing itagainst the keyboard, so as to close the only opening between the reedand key boards through which the sound-waves can escape. This swell-capQ has a pending arm, (1, at one end, and the back board, 0, of thebellows reservoir has a projecting pin, 1', which, with the contractionof the bellows-reservoir, will push said arm (1 forward, whereby theswellcap is turned open until its upper edge is in line with the rearedge of the bridge-board N, when the full sound is directed to issue forward from under the said bridge-board. By these simple means the playerby pumping more or less air through the feeders, and thereby contractingthe bellows reservoir more or less, not only increases or decreases thepower of the air-current that passes through the reeds, but at the sametime the tone is proportionally subdued or brought out with full forceby the automatic action of the swell-cap, thereby giving expression tothe music, the same as in a parlor-organ.

When desirable the swell-cap Q in this organ can be arranged to beoperated by an ordinary knee-stop.

By comparing the construction and arrangement of the organ abovedescribed with other organs for a like purpose it will be readily seenthat this organ is much simpler and far superior in many details, andthat by its peculiar action it will afford pleasure, not only tochildren for whom it is intended, but to adults as well.

This organ is very durable in its parts, and every part is easilyaccessible for repairs, while its great simplicity of constructionenables the manufacturer to sell these organs at a price that is inreach of almost everybody who intends to have his children instructed inmusic.

WVhat I claim as my invention is--- 1. A reed-organ having thebellows-reservoir composed of board B, that forms the front of theorgan-case, strip (1, back board, 0, and spring Gr, all constructed andarranged substantially as set forth.

2. In a reed-organ, the perforated strip (1 of the bellows-reservoir,and the board '6 of the feeders D, secured thereto, in combination withthe pedals E and E, each rigidly connected with a feeder-board, t, by ablock, a, all constructed and arranged substantial] yin the mannerdescribed and shown.

3. The combination of the feeders D D, pedals E E, block a, base-stripc, and wire I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The swell-cap Q, pivotally connected to the rear edge of thereedboard H, and having pending arm q, in combination with the backboard, 0, having pin 1', substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a reed-organ, the key-board J, having grooved strip 9', incombination with the keys -M, having tapering rear ends that enter saidgroove and form a pivotal connection therewith, all substantially asdescribed and shown.

6. In a reed-organ, the combination of the key-board J, reed-board H,bridge-board N, constructed and arranged. to conceal the rear ends ofthe keys and also to form a supporting-shelf for the sheetmusic, theswell-cap Q, pivotally connected to said reed-board and having arm q,and the back board, 0, having pin a, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

7 J In a reed-organ, the combination, with the bridge-board N, of thecover or lid P, pivoted above said bridge-board, as described, so thatwhen opened it forms the music-desk, substantially as set forth.

8. The reedrboard H, formed of a single piece of'wood grooved from thetop and slotted in the rear, so as to form reed-cells that are open ontop, with side grooves in the bottom for holdin gthe reed, with thefront end of the reedframe close upon the projecting base-strip formedto said board,substantially as set forth.

9. In a reed-organ, the combination of the 2 5 reed-board H, key-boardJ, and swell-cap Q, pivotally connected to the rear edge of saidreed-board, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. In a reed-organ, the key-board J, and reed-board H, with pivotedswell'cap Q, having arm q, in combination with the back board, 0, of thebellows-reservoir, having pin 1', the same being constructed to operatesubstantially as set forth.

11. The case for a reed-organ,composed of standards A, back a, frontB,forming one side of the bellows-reservoir, throat-board b, andbase-strip c, all connected by wood-screws, and constructed in themanner substantially as 0 shown and specified.

AUGUSTUS NEWVELL.

Witnesses F. W. KASEHAGEN, ADOLPH Lo'rz.

